Revenge's Gabriel Mann: We're Returning to the "High-Flying Ways" of Team Emily and Nolan

Friday

Apr 26, 2013 at 12:33 PM

Has Revenge really seen the last of Padma? Not entirely."The only time anyone is ever really dead is when you see them laying on a slab in the morgue," Gabriel Mann tells TVGuide.com. "[Although] where we left Padma at the ...

TV Guide

Has Revenge really seen the last of Padma? Not entirely.

"The only time anyone is ever really dead is when you see them laying on a slab in the morgue," Gabriel Mann tells TVGuide.com. "[Although] where we left Padma at the end of the last episode was as close to the morgue as possible, I would say at the same time her story line is far from finished."

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On the ABC show's last episode, Nolan (Mann) learned that his girlfriend Padma (Dilshad Vadsaria) was dead at the hands of The Initiative. But while only Aidan (Barry Sloane) technically saw her lifeless, the case could be made that he lied about her fate. On Sunday's episode (9/8c, ABC) Nolan will go in search of his own answers surrounding his love. What will he learn in the process? What happens when he uncovers his nemesis, The Falcon? And which surprising person is Nolan teaming up with in the season finale? Mann tells all below.

So is Padma really dead? Gabriel Mann: Well, the only time anyone is ever really dead is when you see them laying on a slab in the morgue. [Although] where we left Padma at the end of the last episode was as close to the morgue as possible, I would say at the same time her storyline is far from finished. Is she still alive? In some ways, yes. Will her influence be continued to be felt? Absolutely. Will she come walking back in again? That would be a bombshell that we may have to wait for Season 3 for. But yes, her legacy continues to live on.

It seems that the answers surrounding Padma's death lies with The Falcon. Do they face off?Mann: I would say face off is a very apt description and how they go about doing it is something that will inspire some laughs. Two major computer geeks going head-to-head - you can imagine that one? I have to question whether Nolan is up on his self-defense kills at this point, but I will say he's going to need them real bad for things coming up soon.

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Do you think Padma was the love of his life?Mann: I would always say that Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) is the real love of his life, and that can be interpreted in a million different ways. But in terms of a reciprocal kind of love, I would say Padma was the kindest love that he has yet to encounter. Nolan tends to sway in the direction of love, friendship and companionship, so given the opportunity with the people in front of him, who would he choose? Probably whoever is nicest to him and the most genuine. With Nolan and Padma there was a real genuine sweetness, almost like a high school first love crush, which I know Nolan probably didn't have. He's the definition of late bloomer so considering Padma was his high school sweetheart I'm very interested to see who his college sweetheart is.

How long will it take for him to get over her? Mann: This one is going to take a beat for Nolan to get past, although certainly in the world of Revenge he isn't going to have too much time sitting around being depressed with the lights out and his head under a blanket. Life is coming at him very quickly to get up and take action. The other thing with Nolan is that he's going to be managing a lot of collateral damage and [people] are going to need his support and his resources to survive some of the plot twists that are about to get dropped - and boy do they come fast and furious in the next few episodes.

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A lot of people seemed to be happy Padma is gone, if only so Nolan could go back to being Emily's wingman. Mann: In the last few episodes of the season you'll see a return to the high-flying ways of Team Emily and Team Nolan and I think that it's always a core of the show. Season 2 was about their characters stretching their wings in the world a bit, but that's always in service of bringing it all the way back around to what its roots are and really the genesis of what the story is about, which is Emily, David Clarke and the Graysons. The way the plot twists, Emily and Nolan are going to need each other in a way they never have, and we'll also start to see what the ramifications of that friendship has wrought in their lives.

Ashley and Jack appear to be teaming up. Will Nolan join them?Mann: There is a lot of screen time for Nolan and Jack (Nick Wechsler) and Nolan and Emily in the season finale. If ever Jack needed Emily and Nolan's help I would say it is now. Whether he decides to take it or not is going to be revealed real soon.

Executive producer Mike Kelley recently told us that a major character is dying in the finale. Should we be worried it's you?Mann: The reality of a show like this is that nobody is ever really safe; it's what keeps the stakes high and it's what's necessary when you're telling this kind of story. Whether it is the end of Nolan's days walking around the Hamptons or Nolan is going to emerge as the ghost friend...I will say there were a lot of genuine tears shed in our table read for the very last episode.

Any final teases for the remaining episodes?Mann: There is going to be a very, very unlikely alliance that I and another member of the cast had been pitching for two years now, and it finally starts to come true. This was something I had been really gunning for and finally got, and it may be the beginning of a beautiful marriage made in hell to be explored, fingers crossed, in a potential Season 3. At this point, we've certainly laid the groundwork for some major fireworks.

Revenge airs on Sundays at 9/8c on ABC. Watch a clip from the episode below:

View original Revenge's Gabriel Mann: We're Returning to the "High-Flying Ways" of Team Emily and Nolan at TVGuide.com